A day removed from the Imperfect Patriots (they’re the hoodie with the double stitch) having gone down in flames, and having been about the populace, the radio dial and the message boards, here’s an emptying of the desk drawer:

The Game:
1. Not discussed enough was the oddity of 1Q involving one possession apiece for the combatants. Although the half-empty perspective (which I admittedly held at the time) would have noted that the Giants put up but a FG, while the Patriots marched to a TD, usually a recipe for disaster against the heretofore “Perfect Patriots,” the half-full outlook saw a quarter having expired with the Giants already having shortened the game, only down by 4 to a team that many thought would register a “blowout.”

2. Not talked about enough is the miraculous recovery of his own fumble by Ahmad Bradshaw. It looked as though the Giants had turned the ball over on consecutive possessions, this time setting up the Pats on the Giant 30, already up 4 points. It could have been curtains for the G-Men. How did the Patriots not recover? WFAN from New York had a caller that heard an interview with Pierre Woods, late of the Champs Elysees, who initially fell on the ball, saying that he was never able to free his arms to get them around the ball. Huge play!

3. A pox on both houses for their respective coverages on their opponents’ big-time receivers late in the game. On 3rd & goal from the 7, up 3 points, the Giants assign Ross to cover Randy Moss on his own. He was easily beaten for the go-ahead TD. Not to be outdone, with 39 seconds and no timeouts remaining for the Giants, the Pats blitz, and leave their secondary’s weak link manned up against Plaxico. He bites on the inside move, and the result is what we had longed for in Pittsburgh….a fade to Plax for the TD. Coughlin spoke later of needing to throw to the EZ in that situation, anything underneath, and the Giants are in a really tough spot with clock and/or downs. Pats pick that situation for single coverage??

4. 4th & 13. Maybe Belichick will talk about it someday. On second thought, maybe the social misfit will send out Brady to talk about it. Did he have that little faith in his kicker…a 49 yarder, indoors, to put his team up 7? Or is he that arrogant, believing that his O can pick up the 13, and/or thinking it’s no big deal if they fail, as the game is so well in hand. In any event, huge sack on the preceding play by Michael Strahan, otherwise the Pats are looking at a 42-yarder, which one would think Belichick would undoubtedly attempt.

The Dial:
1. Message Boards I’ve seen all have pieces comparing the Steelers SB run of ’05 to the Giants of ’07, asking which was better. You’ve got to give it to the New Yorkers. Steelers were favored in two games, and face it, we all knew we were beating the slightly favored Broncos in the AFCCG. Indy game, the latter-day version of the ’74 AFCCG vs. Oakland was the fulcrum. Once the Steelers scored that upset, the path to One for the Thumb was there for the taking. Anything less would have been a major disappointment.

Giants, on the other hand, were dogs in each game, not so much against Tampa, but decidedly so from thereon in, culminating in Sunday’s SB. Plus, they knocked off the team heading for immortality.

2. Still Mill, over at Stillers.com, is STILL bemoaning the Offensive Pass Interference call against Darrel Jackson of the Seahawks in SBXL. This supposed Steeler fan, best example ever of prioritizing being right vs SBI (Steelers Best Interest), has been mired in excruciating melancholy ever since his prediction of the Steelers never winning a SB with Cowher at the helm went awry.

3. 3. Speaking of being right being a higher priority than one's team's best interest, my friend WoburnJoe, an obligatory Pats fan, while a certain Ben fan, came to work yesterday, as exuberant as was I. He was of the mind that his assessment of Brady as a "systems QB," one who is good, but not great, and certainly not in the class of Ben Roethlisberger, had been legitimized.

4. CK, across the street, continues to be “depressed” over the Steelers playoff exit, unable to garner any joy from the Pats’ loss (you picked up a diagnostic theme here?). Actually, I’m halfway with CK, the guy who pays to write, on this one. I’m ecstatic, as noted in yesteday’s piece, with the Pats losing. I’m still haunted by 3rd & 6 though. I would have loved to have played the Pats. We had just shut down the Jagoffs’ run game. We couldn’t have brought pressure on Brady?? Not with the d-line necessarily, but the Giants took half a page from our book, blitzed more than expected. We couldn’t have put up more points? Ben couldn’t have escaped the rush? I’m not sold it couldn’t have been us, either. I’m with CK on that one, only I’m not being charged admission to say it.

Speaking of 3rd & 6, occurred to me this morning, that this isn’t my first 3rd & 6 nightmare. Damn….it was a decade ago, in the AFCCG, that Jason Gildon miraculously failed to defend a 3rd & 6 pass to Shannon Sharpe from the Denver 14, 2 minutes to go, Steelers down 3. Gildon literally had to duck to keep from being hit with the ball. Oboy…not looking forward to 2017.

5. Local news up in Patsland urges the populace to practice the P-word, “perspective.” They continue to focus on the accomplishments of the regular season, and the only team to have gotten 18-0. My observation….it’s a yoke that’s a terrible burden for the Pats fan. It’s their ball & chain, their cross to bear, could’ve been crowned the “Best Team Ever,” now they’re an also-ran that blew their shot. Guy that works for me says he’s more upset now than when his dad passed away…..wierd people up here..

Showed the Pats pulling into Foxboro last night, a few hundred adoring fans on hand to greet them. Newscaster noted that Belichick was unusually magnanimous, walking right over, shaking hands with all the fans. Seriously, Beli & Brady….symbiotic relationship of sorts. Beli sends Brady out to do what he can’t….which is to be a person with at least adequate social graces. Sad thing, post-game, Belichick actually did better than after last year’s AFCCG loss.

6. This was supposed to have been a coronation in New England. Every single caller to talk radio predicted so, the only question being how wide the margin would be. The other thing I will never understand. So many people invoked the resurrection of SpyGate and related matters, as extra motivation for the Patriots. “Uh oh…you’ve really pissed them off now.” Wait a minute!! They cheat!! They’re called on it!! And THEY are the ones pissed off!! Hmmmm……good trick.

Shoulda been Parade Day in Boston today…..hahaha……the clips of Hillary Clinton urging Pats fans to join with Giants fans, Obama doing the same, and the Fat Little F*** Ted Kennedy laughing in the background, must incense the Patiot loyalists!!! Hahahahahahahaha!!!.

I can't wait to go to Foxboro next year with my Patriots friend, Stupid Charlie, for Steelers-Patriots. His neighbors in the section, same guys that gave me so much grief this year, I'll greet them thusly, "Hey Fellas, enjoy your Super Bowl Parade last year. Oh...yeah....sorry...forgot....you LOST!!! And then they'll remind me how the Pats have owned our Steelers, to which I'll invoke the tried and true..."5>3, jagoffs, 5>3."

Oh...one last thing. I was accused by one of my Patriots friends yesterday of being a "Schadenfreude," one who "takes pleasure from someone else's misfortune." Well....guess it depends who that someone else is. What that someone else is the New England Patriots and their undeserving, but boastful and arrogant fan base....I'm GUILTY as charged.

BR7

02-05-2008, 11:41 AM

Speaking of 3rd & 6, occurred to me this morning, that this isn’t my first 3rd & 6 nightmare. Damn….it was a decade ago, in the AFCCG, that Jason Gildon miraculously failed to defend a 3rd & 6 pass to Shannon Sharpe from the Denver 14, 2 minutes to go, Steelers down 3. Gildon literally had to duck to keep from being hit with the ball. Oboy…not looking forward to 2017.

I Don't recall where Jason was on that play, but I do remember Levon had the coverage on Shannon.

swissvale72

02-05-2008, 12:00 PM

I Don't recall where Jason was on that play, but I do remember Levon had the coverage on Shannon.

No way....check the tape....Gildon ducked his head, made the tackle....was in prime position to defend the pass

BlitzburghRockCity

02-05-2008, 04:36 PM

I don't know about you but I wasn't sure we were beating the Broncos in Denver. I wasn't sure we were beating the Colts either till we did it. I knew we had a great chance but based on past experience that team was waiting to take a nose dive in the playoffs. Thank goodness they didn't and I'm proud as hell of what the team accomplished being the 6th seed and coming from 7-5 and all but out of the playoff race to winning it all but it was no gimme.

swissvale72

02-05-2008, 04:52 PM

wasn't a gimme, TG.....but I was very confident that we would beat Denver. Yes, Indy.....we shocked the world......not quite on par, but up there, with Sunday's SB......

Giants were stiff underdogs though against both Dallas & GB.....we were favored against Cinci & slight dogs to Denver

TEEMONT

02-05-2008, 08:13 PM

I Don't recall where Jason was on that play, but I do remember Levon had the coverage on Shannon.

I remember that too.

BlitzburghRockCity

02-05-2008, 08:20 PM

wasn't a gimme, TG.....but I was very confident that we would beat Denver. Yes, Indy.....we shocked the world......not quite on par, but up there, with Sunday's SB......

Giants were stiff underdogs though against both Dallas & GB.....we were favored against Cinci & slight dogs to Denver

Im not sure which is worse, going to Denver or to Lambeau in January. Both are freezing cold, snow, crazy crowds and just plain hard to win in. As far as the Colts go that was a bigger win for us than than the Giants had vs the Cowboys.

Cincy well that was just poetic justice beating them..LOL

swissvale72

02-06-2008, 11:53 AM

Right...Colts win was bigger for us than Giants over Cowboys.

Comp I make is this.....
Our Colts win was Giants SB win....

Then.....their games at Tampa, at Dallas, at GB were tougher, more unexpected than our wins at Cinci, at Den, Sea.

AND....wish someone had the tape of the '97 AFCCG.....i can still see Gildon on Sharpe....NO WAY it wasn't him.